


Sorting Hat Analysis of Castiel (SPN)

by paperclip180



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Supernatural
Genre: Essays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 19:38:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8813665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperclip180/pseuds/paperclip180
Summary: The purpose of this essay is to analyze the nature of the character Castiel from the television series Supernatural and ruminate on which Hogwarts house he would be placed in.





	

Sorting Hat Analysis of Castiel (SPN)  
Which Hogwarts House would Castiel be placed in?

 

It is a common practice among fans of the Harry Potter series to hypothesize about which Hogwarts house the sorting hat would place them in. Some fans also like to imagine what house different fictional characters would be placed in if their fictional world were to cross over with Harry Potter. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the nature of the character Castiel from the television series Supernatural and ruminate on what house he would be placed in. Most people and fictional characters alike have traits that can be associated with any of the four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. The sorting hat analyses each person’s personality, the traits value, and which house the person desires to be in. This essay will attempt to do the same, in regards to the character Castiel.  
There are many difficulties and dilemmas in analyzing Castiel’s nature. First off is Castiel’s limited screen time. Although Supernatural is currently airing its eleventh season (at the time I began writing this essay), Castiel did not appear until season four, where he was originally meant to be on the show for three episodes. He was kept on longer after that, where he became a main character for the fifth and sixth seasons, a special guest star for the seventh and eighth seasons, and then a main character again for the ninth season and onwards. Another issue with analyzing Castiel is that unlike the Hogwarts students in Harry Potter, Castiel is not a human. He is an angel, a fictional type of being that was created before the Earth and humans, and does not feel emotions the way humans do. Because Castiel has ‘grace’ instead of a ‘soul’, and because he was been alive much longer than any person, his nature differs greatly than that of a person typically being analyzed by the sorting hat. Castiel also has been brainwashed and tortured repeatedly by Naomi, another angel. Because of that, it is often hard to tell whether his actions were truly his choice, or whether they were influenced or controlled by Naomi. Despite these obstacles, this essay will attempt to analyze Castiel, while still keeping in mind that he is an angel whose nature varies greatly from that of a human, and that some of his actions were under the control and influence of another powerful being who had ill intentions for him.  
The first Hogwarts house that Castiel will be compared to is Gryffindor. Gryffindor values bravery and chivalry. When Castiel first appeared in the show, he simply followed the orders of his superiors without much question. His actions were straight to the point and he did not exhibit much traits other than obedience and diligence. As the show went on, Castiel began making moral judgements, which led him to disobedience and rebellion against his superiors. Although his intentions were never to cause drama, his conscience would no longer allow him to follow orders blindly. By being one of the few angels to question orders, he demonstrated courage. However, once separated from heaven, he became very afraid and unsure of himself when it came time to try new things and make decisions for himself. He was not much of a leader, and was very untrained in understanding right from wrong and how to consider others’ ideas while also considering his own. Some examples include his hesitation in trying alcohol and sex, and his intent to remain idle while the world was ending. This demonstrates a lack of courage, but Castiel was not a complete coward. Eventually, with guidance from his friends, he learned leadership and communication skills, and ended up leading many angels in a civil war and a rebellion against Metatron.   
When it comes to chivalry, Castiel is a bit lacking. Because he has not interacted much with humans before, he does not understand basic etiquette and he does not have a lot of manners. Although he attempts to be polite at times, he is usually very blunt and makes little effort to conform to the human society’s expectations. Even when he does try to fit in, he fails miserably, and it takes him many years to learn how to behave normally among humans. Even when compared to other angels and non-human creatures in Supernatural, the time it takes him to learn how to act politely is much longer than others. Castiel does not seem to particularly admire chivalry, but he does look up to others when it comes to learning how to show bravery. While Castiel does share some traits with those in the Gryffindor house, overall, he most likely would not be sorted into Gryffindor.  
The second house Castiel will be compared to is Hufflepuff, the house that values loyalty, fairness, and dedication. Castiel proves himself as a loyal character by having such a hard time turning from heaven, and by sticking by the Winchesters through thick and thin. Castiel also seems to value fairness, which is shown as he struggles to learn right from wrong. He does not like when people in positions of power mistreat their underlings. Dedication is also a trait that could be associated with Castiel, which he demonstrates as he works hard to rise to power, and afterwards, when he tries to right his mistakes. He is also a dedicated friend to the Winchesters, which is demonstrated time and time again throughout the show.   
Although Castiel does exhibit traits that are very consistent with Hufflepuff, he does not always act loyal and fair. When he committed genocide in heaven, he proved he was capable of doing horrible things to his own brothers and sisters, which shows a lack of loyalty and fairness. Some of his actions that go against the values of Hufflepuff, however, can be attributed to Naomi’s control over him. While Castiel’s actions do not always align with Hufflepuff, he does tend to value loyalty and fairness.  
Thirdly, Castiel will be considered for Ravenclaw, a house that values intelligence, knowledge, and wit. While Castiel does occasionally have witty lines, he does not consistently act intelligently, nor does he seem very knowledgable about many subjects. Partly due to brainwashing, Castiel has very vague memories of the history of humankind. However, he also seems to be lacking in knowledge about larger subjects, like heaven, and god. He does have more knowledge than the Winchesters about angel kind, which proves useful when the angels fell from heaven and wreaked havoc on earth. Whether or not Castiel has good intentions or bad, many of his decisions can only be seen as reckless and stupid, which does not make him a good candidate for the Hogwarts house that most values intelligence.  
Lastly, Castiel will be compared to Slytherin, the house of ambition and resourcefulness. Castiel demonstrates resourcefulness throughout the show, for example, he hides a tablet containing the word of god inside of his human vessel and travels between chain restaurants that all share a similar interior in order to hide from enemy angels. He also demonstrates ambition as he rises to power, and later on, tries to rectify his mistakes and be a good friend to the Winchesters. He also is willing to make sacrifices in order to get what he wants, for example, allowing Lucifer to use his vessel as his own, in an attempt to save the world from the Darkness. Castiel often goes to extreme measures to further his cause. Because of this, he would be a good fit for Slytherin.  
Since Castiel is such a complex character who changes his motives throughout the show, it is hard to find one house that fits him perfectly. However, two houses that would be a good fit for his personality, traits, and values are Hufflepuff and Slytherin. In conclusion, Castiel is loyal, ambitious, and resourceful. Because he would fit so well into two different houses, and can only be placed in one, Castiel’s preference will be considered. Since Castiel is fictional, it can only be hypothesised which house he would chose. When asking whether Castiel most values fairness and loyalty, or ambition and resourcefulness, it seems clear that he would pick fairness and loyalty, thus placing him in Hufflepuff. Because it is unlikely that Supernatural will ever cross over with Harry Potter, one can only analyze, study, and make an educated guess as to which house Castiel would be in. This essay used knowledge of Castiel from Supernatural to analyze Castiel in relation to the four houses, and ultimately decided that he would best be sorted into Hufflepuff.

 

 

Sources  
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hogwarts_Houses  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castiel_(Supernatural)


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